NOVA Online | Trillion Dollar Bet

Welcome to the companion Web site to "Trillion Dollar Bet," originally broadcast on February 8, 2000. The film tells the fascinating story of the invention of the Black-Scholes Formula, a mathematical Holy Grail that forever altered the world of finance and earned its creators the 1997 Nobel Prize in Economics. Here's what you'll find online:

The Formula That Shook the World
One economist has likened the impact of the discovery of the Black-Scholes Formula to that of the discovery of the structure of DNA. Delve into the inner workings of the formula - if you dare.
Impact of Online Trading
Seems like everybody is getting into the game of trading stocks over the Internet. Here, a columnist for The Street.com, an online investment and financial news publication, takes a sidelong glance at this exploding phenomenon.
A Trader's Lexicon
You probably know the difference between a bull and a bear market. But what about the difference between a call and a put? A trend line and a trend break? Whisper numbers and whipsaws? Get the answers in our online glossary.
Play a Virtual Market (Hot Science)
Want to play the stock market without risk? Here we give you a virtual fortune and several leading stocks to spend it on. Caution: These stocks may be volatile.

NOVA Online is produced for PBS by the WGBH Science Unit

Major funding for NOVA is provided by Google. Additional funding is provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,and public television viewers.